Mobile Technology’s Influence on Data Acquisition

Industrial users are starting to expect mobile access to measurement data, according to an article on mobile technology that is part of the recently released "Data Acquisition Technology Outlook 2013" report from National Instruments (registration required).

The report states:

The worldwide proliferation of mobile devices has given people unlimited and instant access to information. Questions no longer go unanswered, as information is made available from anywhere, anytime. Mobile technology has created a natural expectation to have continuous access to information and it is now influencing the data acquisition market.

The report also quotes Jessy Cavazos, industry director for test and measurement at the consulting firm Frost & Sullivan:

Mobile computing devices are evolving and providing opportunities for wireless data acquisition systems. This is going to change the data acquisition market.

Though we may not be surprised by this trend or even by that bold prediction, they do raise questions about the impact of mobile technology on data acquisition methods and tools. In the data acquisition space, engineers are getting constant access to information, and they are using that access to achieve efficiency gains and in many cases avoid issues before they become costly. But mobile technology is also evolving quickly, so it is difficult to implement standards. The report concludes that engineers and scientists must enhance their skill sets by understanding the options for mobile integration and keeping tabs on the outlook for future mobile systems.

The article, "Mobile Technology's Influence on Data Acquisition," looks at, among other things, how recent platform developments are affecting test and measurement. The report highlights measurement options for mobile technology integration and how common solutions are starting to evolve. The most basic solution is using a mobile device to take handheld measurements, but another is to use the mobile device as a human-machine interface for remote measurement systems. Mobile security, one of the final topics covered in the report, has become an issue as more devices are used to connect to secure information.

The complete 20-page report presents a series of four articles that explore software and hardware technology trends impacting the data acquisition market. It is a must-read and a valuable resource, especially for those directly involved in data acquisition applications.

The other articles that are part of the report are:

Big Analog Data and Data Acquisition: "Differentiation is no longer about who can collect the most data; it’s about who can quickly make sense of the data they collect."

Moore's Law at Work in Data Logging: "With the digital world we live in becoming more complex, we are demanding more from the systems recording the physical and electrical phenomena of today and tomorrow."

I think of the most interesting points about the National Instruments paper is re: differentiation, i.e. not about gathering the most data, but understanding it faster. This will be a key factor as use of mobile instrumentation begins to rise.

Definitely not surprising that mobile technology is having such an influence, but agree that this distinction is interesting. It seems that quality not quantity is a factor at work here, as it is in a lot of data-acquisition strategies.

That's very true naperlou. Critical thinking is becoming a lost skill for most. The economic divide that's discussed in technology isn't just in access to devices. There's a divide in the skills learned in school for analyzing and understanding information.

Influence of mobile technology on data aquisition raises the issue of security. Mobiles are used in banking transactions, access company's private informations like emails. Mobiles have become target for the hackers. To overcome mobile security threats, there is a need to develop anti-virus software apps for mobiles.

I would think that monitoring applications are the vast majority of where apps will be used at least in the short term. That reduces security concerns significantly because the emphasis is on viewing data.

Indeed there is a great evolution in the mobile technology, engineers are working very keenly to enhance the mobile technology so that different types of information can be transfered from the device to the mobile .Transfering data from device to mobile is not as simple as we consider because it needs an interface that can match with the mobile and the device .Applications have to be developed by the engineers .

I couldn't agree more. The ability to shift through this large amount of data quickly will differentiate future tools. Mobile security is a major concern. I call out some specific steps to help combat mobile security threats but more effort is needed by industry. The US Navy might (in proposal phase) spend $1M to make Android more secure. These type of efforts on an open platform really benefit everyone. Great comments everyone and awesome post Al! - Grant Heimbach, LabVIEW Product Marketing Manager, grant.heimbach@ni.com

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